The Golden Dragon of Camelot
by Magnus McKay
Summary: Evil is afoot when a young woman is brought to the castle after being attacked. Her only possesion is the mark of Camelot, a dragon pendant. Is Lady Luna all she seems or is there something much more dangerous following her in her wake?
1. Chapter 1

The palace of Camelot glows in the light of the full moon. It's sliver light bounces off the white walls giving it an other worldly look. In a tower high above the city, a gentle breeze enters a small chamber through an open window.

The chamber is messy, clothes covering the floor and most of the weathered furniture. Large piles of assorted books stand on several rickety tables dotted amongst the mess. The largest book sits on the battered bedside table under a silk cover.

Next to it a thin young man slumbers soundly in his bed, lying on his front, his arms hanging over the sides and feet sticking out of the bottom of the thin blanket that covers him. His pale face almost seems to glow in the soft moonlight that shines through the window of his chamber. His black hair is messy, stuck up wildly on one side. Under his hair, his eyes move wildly under his pale eyelids. No one would have believed that this boy was a illegal sorcerer.

An older voice permeates the silence of the night and the young mans chamber.

"Merlin!" yells the voice.

Its barely audible over the boys low snuffling snore and the thick wooden door only deadens the sound. Merlin's eyelids flutter as he registers the noise, but it's not enough to wake him from his deep sleep.

"For the love of Camelot… MERLIN!" calls the voice a second time.

This time it's much louder and much closer than the last. Merlin's eyes shoot open and for a moment he looks dazed and confused. He looks around his room, sitting up and turning over, tangling himself up in the blanket. He looks first at the window and then at the door to place the source of the sound that woke him. He sits up straighter and yawns wildly, stretching his limbs like a cat.

A cloud passes over the moon making the room dark. Merlin's eyes begin to droop and he is about to settle back down again, when the door of the chamber bursts open to reveal Prince Arthur of Camelot stood perfectly framed in the doorway. He looks at Merlin darkly from under his eyelids. Even dressed in the slightly shabby hunting clothes, he still manages to pull of a regal air.

Merlin blinks a few times, just staring up at him, shocked by his masters very sudden appearance in his room. Gaius the court physician is stood behind Arthur wielding a battered lantern to illuminate the room. From behind his white hair he gives Merlin a sympathetic half smile. Arthur begins to walk slowly around Merlin's room, a slightly disgusted look on his face.

"My God Merlin, have you never heard of a cupboard?" he asks rudely.

He sneers at Merlin who, though still very confused, frowns back.

"I spend the whole day putting your things away, do you really expect me to tidy my own stuff away at the end of the day?" he asks, equally as rude in his tone.

Arthur lets it slide, choosing to give him a withering look. He walks slowly around the side of Merlin's bed, kicking items of clothing aside to create a clear path. He leans down so he is inches from Merlin's face.

"Tell me, Merlin, is there anything that you've forgotten?" Arthur asks straightening up and folding his arms.

His blue eyes glitter under his blonde hair as he stares down at Merlin waiting for the penny to drop. Merlin, looking nonplussed, rubs the back of his head, smiles gently and shrugs. Arthur grinds his teeth in annoyance, a spasm of anger crossing his face.

"Do you think I'm dressed like this for the good of my health, Merlin," Arthur asks emphasising the use of his servants name, "You were supposed to meet me in the courtyard an hour ago you complete idiot."

Merlin's face falls in shock and his mouth flaps wordlessly.

"I-I forgot." he mumbles, looking sheepish.

"Evidently," Arthur snaps, rolling his eyes, "Just get dressed."

Arthur turns on his heel and strides from the room giving Gaius a nod of apology as he leaves. Merlin stares after Arthur as the door to the main chamber snaps shut.

"What time is it?" he asks looking out of the window as the cloud moves away from the moon allowing it to shine once more.

"Lets just say I had barely dropped off to sleep myself." Gaius replies grumpily.

Merlin falls back onto his pillow and groans.

"You'd best get dressed." Gaius adds a smirk playing on his lips.

Merlin heaves himself up and props himself up on his elbows. He gives Gaius a goofy, lopsided smile.

"Do you think it'd ruin our destiny if I accidentally on purpose turned him into lets say, a squirrel? The Great Dragon didn't say anything about Arthur being a human when he becomes king…" he says jokingly.

Gaius smirks but gives Merlin a slightly disapproving look.

Darkness envelopes the courtyard except for one corner which is illuminated by a large flaming torch fixed to the castle wall. Underneath it in the pool of light, Arthur's hunting party is assembled, their horses ready for them just out of the light. They talk and joke loudly about the coming days hunt.

Arthur is stood apart from them his arms folded against the slight chill in the breeze that gusts around the courtyard. He pats his horse on the flank in reassurance as the breeze ruffles its mane and its ears go back. Arthur looks up at the night sky to see a bank of cloud cover the moon entirely. He drops his gaze and sighs loudly as a messily dressed Merlin rushes across the courtyard to join him.

"Arthur, I'm really, really sorry. I-" before Merlin gets a chance to finish his sentence, Arthur cuts across him.

"Save it, just get on your horse." Arthur snaps.

Merlin obliges and mounts his horse a little clumsily in his sleep deprived state, beside him Arthur mounts his horse smoothly. In seconds the hunting party is mounted and ready to ride. They move forward into the darkness leaving the safety and warmth of the castle into the night, Arthur leading the hunt forward.

A light mizzle falls through the beams of watery, dull early morning sunlight that shines through the thick canopy of trees illuminating the forest floor with its weak light. Behind a huge trunk of a fallen tree, Arthur and Merlin are hidden from view out of the relentless rain. Arthur is alert, taking in his surroundings and listening for the distinct sound of pray, ever the hunter.

Beside him though, Merlin isn't faring as well. He is slumped against the trunk of the fallen tree, his knees tucked up tight to his chest, his head is so low in sleep that his forehead is almost touching them. His hands are lying limply on the ground either side of him buried in dirt and leaf mulch. His breathing is shallow and rhythmic in sleep. Without turning, Arthur begins to whisper to him.

"Pass me my crossbow." he commands gently.

There's no reply from Merlin who is still slumbering gently. Arthur turns and, rolling his eyes, punches Merlin hard in the thigh to wake him. Merlin yelps in pain as he is rudely awoken by the sudden painful blow.

"You complete and utter fool, pass-me-my-crossbow!" Arthur slowly hisses.

"I don't get why we've been here all night. You've been staring at the same spot for hours and you still haven't caught anything." Merlin hisses back passing the crossbow over.

"You really don't get the subtle art of hunting do you, Merlin? The thrill is in the chase, never in the capture." Arthur replies.

"I don't get the subtle art of anything this early in the morning, no." Merlin mumbles thickly.

Arthur shakes his head and ignores his servants quip. Merlin yawns silently and quickly stretches his aching limbs out, his joints painfully cracking. A high pitched, echoing scream reverberates through the forest causing Arthur to curse loudly as his prey runs off into the deep undergrowth and out of sight. Merlin jumps to his feet in utter surprise and Arthur drags him back behind the trunk of the tree roughly. He forces Merlin to face him, keeping a firm grip on his arm so he can't run off.

"What do you think you're doing?" he yells, all thought of the hunt erased from his mind.

"Whoever that is they are in trouble!" Merlin yells back.

"Merlin!" Arthur growls warningly.

But Merlin breaks away from Arthur's grip before he can say anything more. He tries to make a run for it but Arthur tackles him back to the ground before he gets far.

"You clotpole," Arthur spits, holding Merlin down firmly, "Every time I've gone to rescue someone in this forest I've either been attacked or enchanted or walked into a trap. Not this time!"

"That's because you're a prat and you don't look before you leap!"

"And that's exactly what you're doing!"

"So you're going to let whoever it is die?" Merlin asks, still scrabbling to break free.

"No… Fine! But if we get ambushed it's entirely on your head." Arthur grimaces letting him go.

Merlin sits up and nods furiously, bits of twig and leaves falling out of his hair. In seconds they're both on their feet, racing towards the screams. They skid to a halt at the edge of a grassy clearing. A woman in a tattered red dress that was once very beautiful, is huddled in a ball in the middle of the clearing. Her pale arms are wrapped around her body and her ebony hair covers her face. She's out cold. Around her a small ravenous pack of wolves circle her.

"Sire, we heard screams!" calls a member of the hunting party from behind Merlin and Arthur.

Arthur assesses the situation, sizing up the wolves in comparison to his men.

"Attack!" he yells drawing his sword and rushing towards the largest of the wolves.

The pack shift their attention to the hunting party, launching themselves at their attackers. Merlin ducks behind a tree and watches the fight, keeping back as any attempt to help would mean he'd only be getting in the way. He watches closely as Arthur drives the leader of the pack away from the girl with a barrage of heavy blows. The sound of swords hitting flesh, the snap of jaws and the whines of the injured wolves fills the air. As soon as the wolves are far back enough from the woman not to be a danger, he runs to her side.

He crashes to a halt beside her and turns her over. Her hair falls away from her face, there are several scratches and bruises marking her pale skin. Merlin freezes as he hears a growl behind him. He turns slowly to see a huge grey wolf staring right back at him, its fangs bared. Merlin stares at it intently for a few seconds, until it begins to advance on him.

"Healden bæk oþþe gefaran." Merlin mutters, holding his hand out at the approaching wolf.

Merlin's eyes turn a shining gold for a second and the wolf stops in its tracks. It stops growling and looks at Merlin hard. It gives a low whine and begins to back off, turning and running at full pelt through the trees, it's tail between its legs.

Merlin sighs and looks back down at the woman. He frowns as he looks down her body to check for other open wounds of which there are several along her arms and legs. Arthur joins him at her side leaving his men to deal with the remainder of the pack. He is covered in dirt and blood, his sword hanging limply at his side.

"Is she alright?" he asks gasping for breath.

Merlin shakes his head grimly. He strokes back the stray hair away from her face and frowns as he revels a gold chain around her neck. Arthur crouches down to get a closer look. Merlin pulls at the chain and his eyes widen in shock as he sees the pendant glinting amongst her dark hair. Arthur looks at it curiously and then looks up at Merlin in puzzlement. Shining in the watery sunlight is a pendant in the shape of the Golden Dragon of Camelot.


	2. Chapter 2

The physicians chamber is stuffy and there is a slight mist in the air. Gaius hums to himself as he stands at his bench grinding herbs for the concoction that is boiling away on the fire. He reads from a large, dusty book as he grinds up a bunch of rosemary, adding ingredients absentmindedly to the concoction. He gives it a stir throwing up more steam to mist up the room.

So lost in he in his work, he jumps as the door to the chamber bursts open and Merlin barrels in looking red and sweaty. He holds the door wide open for Arthur, who follows him in, the young woman from the forest in his arms. Gaius frowns and looks from the Merlin to the girl and back again. Before he even asks a question Merlin talks.

"Gaius, she needs your help." he says gasping for breath. "I can see that."

Gaius replies snippily. He points Arthur the bed in the corner of the room. Arthur rushes forward and places her delicately on it, taking care not to pull at her hair as he slides his arms from underneath her. He steps back, his face pale and angry. His hunting jacket is covered her blood. He looks down at it and looks back at the girl, his expression softening. He stares frozen at her, Gaius practically has to push him out of the way to get to her.

Carefully Gaius checks her wounds, from the cuts on her arms to the bruises on her face. He ums and ahs over her until, finally, he pulls back, satisfied that he has thoroughly examined her.

"She will be fine, the wounds are superficial." he announces, "They should heal reasonably quickly if treated correctly."

He moves towards his shelves to find the correct ointment for the treatment of the cuts. Merlin and Arthur sigh in relief.

"What happened to her?" Gaius adds.

"She was attacked by wolves." Merlin replies quickly.

Gaius nods and puts down the ointment he picked up and choosing another.

"Hmm… strange though, some of the wounds look older, a few days I'd say, at least." he mutters under his breath.

Merlin frowns at this and looks at Arthur whose brow furrows. While they talk, behind them the woman stirs, her eyelids flickering and opening slowly to reveal a pair of stunningly green eyes. She groans in pain and lifts herself into a sitting position carefully. Merlin, Arthur and Gaius turn to her, looking at her cautiously. She licks her lips and finally finds her voice, it's hoarse and very weak.

"I must speak with King Uther, you must take me to Camelot." she mutters.

Gaius lays a calming hand on her shoulder and smiles down at her warmly.

"You're in Camelot. But you must rest before you seek council with Uther." he says.

"No, no, I must see him now." she protests weakly.

She manages to get to her feet, even take a few steps, but she soon trips over the hem of her tattered dress and falls right into Merlin's arms. He awkwardly helps her back to the bed and sits her down. His cheeks are tinged a slight pink in embarrassment. She shakes as he moves away from her, she grabs his hand and looks up at him her eyes filling with tears. Merlin smiles tenderly and sits next to her on the stool by the side of the bed. She lets go of his hand and nods her thanks to him. Arthur moves forward, his head held high, his arms crossed defensively.

"The King is my father, I could take a message to him for you." he offers.

The woman gives him a soft smile as she allows herself to be laid back onto the bed by Merlin. She takes the golden chain and pendant from around her neck and holds it out to Arthur, dropping it into his outstretched hand.

"He will know what it means, my lord." she says looking deeply into his eyes.

Arthur nods and places the necklace safely in his pocket.

"Who should I say it is from?" Arthur asks.

"He will not need to be told. But my name is Lady Luna of Hinsdale," she replies, a spasm of pain flitting across her face "Do not worry I am a friend of Camelot."

Arthur nods curtly and leaves the camber swiftly. Merlin watches him go and thinks for a second before running after him.

"Merlin?" Gaius calls.

"Not now." Merlin replies over his shoulder.

The door slams shut after him. Gaius shakes his head and begins to tend to Lunas wounds. Her eyes begin to slip out of focus and she smiles up at Gaius.

"Merlin… is an unusual name…" she mutters.

Her head falls back and she slips into sleep. Gaius dabs at the cut on her cheek.

"There are a lot of things about Merlin that is unusual…" he mumbles under his breath.

King Uther is sat at the end of the long council table alone reading through a large roll of parchment. His quill hovers inches from the paper ready to sign it. The double doors open and Arthur strides in. Merlin follows him, barely able to keep up with his pace. Uther looks up from the parchment and drops his quill on the table. He looks shocked as he takes in the image of his son covered in blood and frowns.

"My son, what happened?" he asks worriedly, getting to his feet.

"We were hunting in the forest when we heard screams. There was a woman in the clearing, she'd been attacked by wolves. Gaius is caring for her now. She was making for Camelot to see you. She said for me to show you this," Arthur holds the pendant up, "She said that you would know what it meant, sire."

Uther's eyes darken as he takes the pendant from his son. He lets it hang from his hand and it sways in the breeze from the open door. He is quiet for a long time, his eyes following the sway of the pendant as if being hypnotized by it. Merlin and Arthur give each other a sidelong look.

"Father?" Arthur ventures.

Uther slowly takes his seat again, his eyes never leaving the pendant.

"See to it that she is placed in a comfortable room. Give this back to her and tell her I will visit her when she is settled in." he says quietly.

He holds the pendent out to Arthur and hesitates, flinching away as his son takes it from him as if he isn't going to let it go. Uther closes his eyes and sighs, opening them slowly. Arthur turns to Merlin and gives him a perturbed look. Merlin raises his eyebrows, takes an intake of breath and shrugs.

"Merlin, you will see to it she is made comfortable. You and Gwen will offer your services to her and to Gaius to speed her recovery." Arthur says, their moment of silent communication broken.

Merlin nods and gives Uther a bow. They both leave the room quietly. Uther, still deep in thought, doesn't even look up as the door snaps shut, leaving him alone in the council chambers once more. He sits in silence for a while before picking up his quill once more.

Merlin and Arthur wait until they have put enough distance between the Uther and themselves before they stop to talk.

"I want to make sure she is well looked after. Also I want you to find out what that pendant is all about, it seems to have some sort of meaning to my father. See If you can find out why. There is something funny going on and I want to know what it is," Arthur pauses and frowns, "And make sure that she doesn't go wandering off around the castle. I want someone with her at all times. Ask Morgana to-"

"Ask me to what?" calls a subtle female voice from behind Arthur's back.

He turns to see Morgana and her maid servant Gwen. Arthur's eyes linger on Gwen's face, a glint in his eye that says more than words ever could. Gwen smiles and looks down at the floor. Arthur looks back at Morgana, thinking quickly, he replies.

"I was going to ask you to visit the Lady Luna. She has had quite a journey and I'm sure she would like to spend time in the company of women." he says quickly, finishing the sentence with a winning smile.

He elbows Merlin hard in the side who wheezes in pain. Arthur gives him a sideways look and the penny drops. Merlin turns to Morgana and gives her a wide smile. Morgana's eyes narrow slightly and she looks up at Arthur suspiciously.

"You're up to something Arthur Pendragon." she says coldly.

"I-am-not." Arthur protests loudly.

"Fine don't tell me. I'll find out myself," Morgana replies, snappily, "Gwen we had better leave, we have obviously got in the boys way."

They move around Arthur and Merlin and begin to leave when Arthur catches Gwen's hand. He awkwardly drops it and clears his throat in embarrassment. Morgana turns and to distract her, Merlin launches into an explanation.

"What Arthur was trying to say was that we would like someone to keep an eye on her. Gaius and I cannot be around all the time and we need someone to be there if she falls seriously ill." Merlin says brightly.

Morgana smiles at him and glances at Arthur, who quickly rearranges his shocked expression to a look of agreement.

"Of course Merlin, now was that so hard to say, Arthur? We'll see her to her room when everything is prepared. I'm sure she will want womanly company." Morgana smiles.

The two women turn to leave rounding the corner quickly. Gwen gives Arthur a small smile and hurries then after her mistress. Arthur watches her go with a bemused sort of smile on his face. After a minute he sighs and lets his head drop.

"That's perhaps the quickest you have ever thought of a cover story in all your life." Arthur says looking back up at Merlin, who is grinning still.

"I think that was a complement, I am not quite sure." he replies.

Arthur takes the pendant out of his pocket and places into Merlin's hand, turning to leave.

"Return that to Luna." he says quietly.

"Where are you going?" Merlin asks.

"To have a bath and go to bed." Arthur calls over his shoulder.

Merlin stares blankly after him, his eyes narrow.

"It's alright for some." he mumbles dragging his feet back towards Gaius' chambers.


	3. Chapter 3

Lady Luna is sat at the small weathered dining table watching Gaius intently, her eyes ringed with bruises, following him around the room. Her hair is tied back into a simple knot and she has changed into a simple, if plain, white dress. Gaius pours her a cup of mulled wine and drops a few leaves into it. He adds a fine red powder to it and places the goblet in front of her.

"This should help with the pain, my Lady" he says smiling.

"Thank you, Gaius." Luna replies her voice still very weak.

She takes the goblet from him and sips the mixture. She wrinkles her nose at the taste and puts the goblet down quickly.

"I never did like the taste of mulled wine." she mumbles.

"It masks the taste of the powder." Gaius informs her.

She looks down at the goblet and downs it in one to save herself from the taste. She places the goblet down with a loud clunk and shudders. Gaius smiles and pours her some water.

"If you don't mind me asking, what made you so desperate to see Uther?" he asks, moving back to his workbench.

Luna seems to sag under the question and her face turns to a mask of pain and anguish. She falls silent and doesn't touch the water Gaius places in front of her. Gaius looks at her, concerned by her sudden silence. Luna stares blankly at a candle on Gaius' work bench, her eyes out of focus and her lip trembling.

"I'm sorry, my Lady, it was rude of me to ask. It's not my place to ask you these questions." Gaius apologizes, looking over his glasses.

Luna's eyes break away from the deformed stump of candle and she shakes her head, looking down at her hands. A few strands of hair falls into her face, but she ignores them.

"My family and I were on the way home when we were attacked by rouge sorcerers. I was the only survivor," her voice shakes and she pauses before continuing, "My father always told me that if ever I were in grave peril, I should travel to Camelot and present the King with my pendant. He said that when he took me in, Uther gave my father the pendant and his word that I would be protected as long as I stayed within the walls of Camelot."

Gaius raises his eyebrows at the barrage of information. The look on his face is that of a man who is disturbed by her tale. He opens his mouth to say something, but before he gets a chance, Merlin returns. He smiles widely as he enters the chamber. He walks straight over to the table and places the pendant in front of its owner. She picks it up quickly and places it around her neck, hiding it from view under her dress.

"The King has given me orders to move you to a guest room and he said he would visit you as soon as you're ready." Merlin says cheerfully.

He smiles at Gaius, but his face falls when he sees the dark look on the physicians face. He looks back at Luna who is looking up at him intently. She looks away quickly when Merlin's eyes settle on her, she looks intently at her goblet.

"Uh… Oh, Lady Morgana said she would escort you to your chambers and keep you company, my Lady." Merlin adds looking a little bewildered by Luna's reaction to his presence.

"Thank you Merlin." Luna says softly her face turning slightly pink.

She looks away from him again and sips her water. An awkward silence falls. Merlin can't think of anything to keep himself occupied so he stands stiffly with his hands behind his back looking anywhere but at Luna. Luna is doing the same, her eyes trained on her hands. Gaius looks from Merlin to Luna and shakes his head, returning to his work bench.

A knock at the door breaks the silence just as it threatens to get heavier. Merlin hurries over and opens the door swiftly, thankful for something to do. Morgana steps into the room looking resplendent in a midnight blue dress. She gives Gaius a small smile, who returns it with a little bow of the head.

"You must be Lady Luna," Morgana says walking towards Luna and curtsying graciously, "My name is Morgana. Merlin here asked me to keep you company this evening."

"It is nice to meet you at last, my Lady. My father spoke of you often," she returns the curtsy, if rather shakily "I've always wished to meet you myself."

Morgana puts a friendly hand on Luna's shoulder.

"I thank you again for your aid Gaius. And Merlin," Luna moves closer to Merlin as she says his name.

"You saved my life. I am truly indebted to you." she stands up on her tiptoes and plants a sweet, gentle kiss on Merlin's cheek.

She sighs and leaves he room limping a little. Morgana gives Merlin a huge smile that threatens to turn into a laugh and leaves quickly before it explodes forth. Merlin shuts the door behind them and turns, grinning like a fool to Gaius. His grin falters as he looks at Gaius.

"Oh no, no, no, I know that look… don't give me that look." Merlin says pleadingly.

"I'm sorry Merlin," Gaius says softly.

Merlin makes for his room quickly, putting his hands over his ears.

"I don't need to hear it. I don't want to hear it." Merlin says loudly.

"Sooner or later you're going to have to listen to me, Merlin." Gaius replies sternly.

Merlin sighs and drops his hands.

"What is it Gaius? Whats wrong with her? Is she a troll? A hag? A siren?" Merlin snaps, anger burning up inside him.

Gaius looks shocked by Merlin's tone and it takes him a few seconds to take it in.

"No, Merlin. She's a survivor of The Great Purge." Gaius replies.

Merlin lets his hands drop to his sides and his mouth falls open a little. He walks back down the stairs numbly.

"How is that possible? Uther was ruthless." Merlin asks, his anger gone in a flash.

"Perhaps not…"

"How do you know this? How can you be sure?"

"The older wounds she has, burns. There was a baby girl, a tiny thing, pulled from a burning building by a knight who couldn't bare to see such a small child burn to death. The knight brought her to Uther. He never spoke of her origin to anyone but me. To Uther she had been caught up in this whole incident by accident. I treated her and thought nothing of it. She wasn't the only small child I had treated. But Uther felt particularly sorry for this child and he took her, when she was well enough, and gave her to a noble family who could not bare children. He gave them his word and a symbol, that she would be protected." Gaius explains.

"The pendant." Merlin sighs.

Gaius nods solemnly and they both fall silent. Merlin moves to the table and sits down heavily. Gaius follows suit.

"She was the daughter of warlocks?" Merlin asks.

"Yes."

"And Uther has no knowledge of this?"

"Yes."

"So she's in danger by just being here?"

"Yes. Uther always believed that magic was a choice. But if she shows any magic ability, Uther will kill her and go back on his promise to protect her."

"But he promised."

"For Uther, promises can be broken when magic is a concern. Not even the Lady Morgana would be safe." Gaius says darkly.

Merlin takes a deep breath and bites his lip, his eyes on Luna's empty goblet.

"That is not all. Her family was attacked by rouge sorcerers, evil beings who know nothing of goodness. She was the only survivor." Gaius adds.

"But what has that got to do with her?"

"You can think of nothing?"

"No I… wait… you don't think? They think she has magic?"

"Why else would they attack a family like that, killing them and leaving their adopted daughter behind? They wouldn't benefit from it, they were carrying nothing of true value to the attackers. What if they were targeting her because they knew her past? What if she didn't choose magic, what if it chose her and she was born with it?" Gaius says coolly.

Merlin gets to his feet, nearly knocking the table over in his haste.

"Where are you going?" Gaius asks, puzzled by Merlin's reaction.

Merlin just shakes his head and leaves swiftly.


	4. Chapter 4

Dim blue evening light enters the warmly lit chamber through the open window. Lady Luna is asleep on the four poster bed, her eyelids fluttering fitfully. Occasionally she moves restlessly, her eyebrows knitting into a tight frown as she moves.

Morgana sits by the blazing fire watching the flames spiral up into the chimney breast. There is a brusque knock at the door and Uther enters the chamber. He looks around the room, first at Luna and then at Morgana. Morgana gets to her feet ready to leave Luna and Uther alone while they talk.

"Is she any better?" Uther asks, glancing at Luna once more.

"All she has really done is sleep. I do not blame her after the ordeal she has been through over the past few days. Gaius said bed rest would be the best thing for her." Morgana replies, also looking over at Luna whose face is pale and sweaty.

Uther nods in acknowledgement. He walks silently around to the side of the bed.

"Yes, she has travelled through so much to seek my council." Uther agrees.

Luna stirs in her sleep again, rolling into a tight ball and covering her head with her arms.

"I should leave you." Morgana says abruptly, breaking the long silence.

She smiles at Uther, gives a small nod of the head and leaves swiftly. Uther waits until the door snaps shut before he hesitantly sits on the edge of the bed. Luna groans and rolls towards Uther, opening her eyes slowly. She fixes on Uther with her green eyes and gives him a weak smile. Uther takes her hand gently and gives her a small smile, however it doesn't meet his eyes, which stay passive and dark.

"My Lord, you came." she croaks.

She tries to sit up but Uther shakes his head and puts his hand on her shoulder to stop her from getting up.

"Yes," he says, smiling once more, "I heard you have travelled through pain and death to seek my council."

"My father, he told me… he said that you would give me shelter and protect me as long as I showed you the dragon pendant." Luna says her eyes welling with tears.

She wipes them from her cheeks hastily with the back of her hand, embarrassed to show such emotion in front of the king.

"What else did he tell you?" Uther asks, his smile now fading.

"My… my Lord?" Luna stammers.

"Of your past."

"That I was rescued by you and that, unable to bare children, you gave me to him. He always said that you had given him the greatest gift in the world." Luna says, smiling sadly.

Uther nods and lets his shoulders relax.

"Your father and mother were true and loyal friends. I will not rest until their murderers are brought to justice. Magic will not be tolerated in my kingdom. Until then you must stay here, as my personal guest." Uther says softly.

Luna's eyes fill with tears once more and she looks away from Uther in embarrassment. Uther gets to his feet and sweeps from the room leaving Luna alone. She watches him leave. Once he leaves, she settles back and closes her eyes, quickly drifting back to sleep.

Arthur dries his hair by the fire, rubbing his hair roughly after his long bath. H stares out of the window absentmindedly as he begins to dry his torso. He turns sharply at a timid knock at the door. Merlin enters the room breathing heavily having run through the castle halls to Arthur's chamber.

"I need to talk to you." Merlin gasps.

He doubles over and puts a shaky hand on his knee, the other gripping his chest as he gasps for air. Arthur smirks and drops the towel he was using to the floor. He disappears behind a screen to change.

"You really don't get the whole Master, Servant thing, do you, Merlin?" he yells as the towel from around his waist comes flying over the screen.

Merlin straightens up, still gripping his chest.

"It is about Lady Luna… she-" before Merlin has a chance to finish his sentence, Uther enters the room without knocking.

Merlin hastily bows and retreats into the corner of the room. He begins to tidy, careful not to make a noise. Arthur peers around the screen, puzzled by Merlin's sudden silence.

"Father?"

"You saved the girl in the woods?" Uther asks abruptly.

Merlin turns quickly in shock and he accidentally sweeps Arthur's helmet to the floor. Uther's head snaps towards the noise and he glares at Merlin.

"What are you doing, boy?" he snaps his eyes narrowing.

"I was just… I'm sorry. I'll just, uh, pick this up." Merlin stammers, surprised at the kings tone.

"Leave us, boy." Uther snaps.

"Merlin may be a first class idiot, but he can be trusted. Anything that needs to be said can be said in front of him, he won't tell a soul. Will you Merlin?" Arthur interjects.

"No, sire." Merlin says quickly, shaking his head.

Uther looks Merlin up and down then turns his head back to his son slowly.

"I just want you to look after her. Keep a close eye on her. I trust you with this task my son." Uther says brusquely.

He claps a hand on Arthur's shoulder briefly, then sweeps from the room without another word to Merlin, or his son. The door clicks shut and Arthur looks at Merlin, shaking his head.

"Merlin, you need to keep an eye on that Luna girl." he says pulling on a shirt and seating himself back by the fire.

Merlin frowns at Arthur in annoyance.

"But your father asked you." he replies angrily.

"I can't be around all the time," he holds his hand, up counting down on his fingers " I have to train the soldiers, go riding with Morgana, changing of the guard-"

"All right, all right. I get it." Merlin snaps.

"Anyway, didn't you want to tell me something?"

"It doesn't matter. I should polish your armour, and your good shirt needs stitching for your ride with Morgana tomorrow." Merlin replies scooping up a pile of stuff.

He leaves the room haphazardly, trying not to drop anything.


	5. Chapter 5

Bright golden sunlight falls in shafts across Luna's room. Luna herself is sat at the dressing table, brushing her long raven hair carefully. As she swings her hair back over her shoulder, she catches her own eye in the mirror and freezes. Her necklace glints in the sunlight making it shimmer eerily. She puts a shaking, pale hand on the pendant and puts the brush down shakily, however she misses the table and it falls to the floor, breaking on impact.

Her eyes darken and her face contorts in anger. She stares at the pendant, breathing heavily. She gives a guttural yell. The mirror shatters. The pieces, instead of falling straight to the floor, explode out towards Luna, but none of them hit her. They fall to the ground and make a soft tinkling noise. Luna stares at the destroyed mirror in utter horror and shock. She gets to her feet and backs away towards the bed as quickly as she can.

Gwen walks along the corridor towards Luna's room, a silver platter with a cover in her hands. As Gwen passes Arthur's chamber Arthur himself steps out.

"Good morning Gwen. Oh, breakfast." Arthur smiles.

Gwen giggles shyly and shakes her head.

"No, this is for Lady Luna." Gwen replies.

"Hmm… Merlin's late," he mutters, "Would you mind if I took it to her?" he adds in a louder to Gwen.

Gwen looks shocked and surprised.

"It's fine, I will take it to Lady Luna. It is my job after all." she smiles.

Arthur completely ignores her and tries to take the platter from her.

"I insist." Arthur says strongly.

Gwen looks deep into his eyes and frowns. Arthur just smiles at her sighing.

"Look, my father asked me to keep an eye on her. I may as well start now." he explains.

"Oh." she replies eyebrows raised.

Reluctantly she hands the platter of food over to Arthur. Their hands brush for a second and they look deeply into each others eyes, then pointedly look away shyly. Gwen drops her eyes to the floor.

"You… you should go, my lord, there is cooked food on there. You would not want it to get cold." she says smiling coyly.

Arthur smiles back and she bows quickly as he wanders off with the platter. As he rounds the corner, he stops and watches Gwen walk back towards the kitchens. He sighs and reluctantly caries on towards Luna's room. He knocks on the door brusquely and enters the room before Luna even has a chance to answer him.

Luna is sat with her back pressed against the head of the bed, her eyes wild with fear and her kneed tucked up to her chest. Arthur frowns at her strange appearance and hurriedly puts the platter down on the table. He moves towards the bed and the glass on the floor crunches under his boots.

"What happened?" he asks, worried that Luna might have hurt herself.

It takes Luna a while to pull herself together and actually find her voice again.

"I… I don't know. It… it just shattered." she stammers, her eyes growing wider.

She looks up fearfully at Arthur who is frowning. He walks the rest of the way towards her, ignoring the further crunches as he walks.

"Are you feeling well? Shall I fetch Gaius?" he asks his voice full of sympathy.

"No, no, I'm fine, truly. I'd… like some time alone, my lord." Luna replies.

"I will have someone clean this up for you, my lady," Luna nods up at Arthur as he speaks, "Try to eat something."

He walks out of the room leaving her alone. Luna's face darkens again and she frowns menacingly at the mirror. A cloud passes from in front of the sun and the look on her face is gone, replaced by the confusion of before.

-o0o-

Merlin pokes his head around the door to Luna's chamber. It's empty so he enters it properly, closing the door with a quiet click behind him. He begins to sweep up the broken mirror quickly, eager to get back to his own chambers and study magic in the twenty or so minutes he had while Arthur thought up something to do.

As he sweeps up the larger shards of glass, he frowns and picks a single shard of mirror up. Imprinted on the reflective surface is the perfect shape of Luna's pendant, the shape scorched onto it as if by flame. The door to the chamber opens quietly while Merlin weighs the glass in his hand, deciding what to do. Luna walks silently over to him, peering over Merlin's shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she asks.

Merlin jumps slightly but pockets the shard of mirror under cover of doing so. He turns sharply and gets to his feet quickly. Luna hasn't noticed him slip the glass into his pocket. Merlin bows to her quickly then looks to the floor, trying to make his thumping heart stop.

"Prince Arthur informed me there was a broken mirror, I was sent to clean it up." he replies, letting himself relax a little.

He waves the brush in his hand and smiles goofily at Luna. She however seems to looks a little disappointed.

"Oh, I thought… you had maybe come to see me." she replies, her face turning a pale pink.

Luna seats herself at the small dining table and fold her hands in her lap. Merlin doesn't know quite what to say and he also begins to blush.

"My Lady, I could visit you later when I have finished my work." Merlin replies.

"I have had little in the way of company since Morgana joined me last night. You're company would be much appreciated." Luna replies with a little smile.

Merlin smiles and Luna smiles back equally as shyly.


End file.
